recipes

How to Host a Cinco De Mayo Party Like a Pro

May 01, 2023 Admin

With Cinco de Mayo just days away, no doubt you’re looking for the best possible snacks, beverages and recipes to level up your Mexican fiesta. Sometimes plain old guacamole and margaritas just won’t cut it!

Celebrate Cinco de May with these fun and festive ideas to get you in the spirit…Ole! Whether you are dining al fresco or celebrating indoors, the products and ideas described below will help you kick-off a memorable event.

Cinco de Mayo Decorations

When it comes to decorations, some of the most popular items for cinco de mayo include colorful paper lanterns, paper fans, and Mexican flags. Colorful banners, papel picado, and piñatas are great options for adding a festive touch to your Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Brightly colored tablecloths and napkins are an easy way to add some color to your party. You can also use cactus and succulent plants as table centerpieces.

Cinco De Mayo Party Food

For recipes, some of the most popular dishes include tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. Here are some ideas to get creative and different.

1. Taco Bar

Creating a taco bar is a simple way to serve Mexican food at your Cinco de Mayo party. Tacos are a classic!

Add all your taco toppings (cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, taco sauce) to separate decorative bowls with spoons. You can also use this beautiful 3 section tray for those mix-ins too!

I like to cook my taco meat in a crock pot or instant pot so it can stay hot though the whole party.

2. Mexican Street Corn

This is my absolute favourite Cinco de Mayo recipe. It’s simple, delicious and perfect! Choose between grilling your corn or sautee it in a skillet then mix your sauce and assemble.

The mild sweetcorn provides the perfect base for the buttery tangy mixture of lime, cheese and chilli. It won’t take you more than thirty minutes to pull together and will be sure to stand out from the spread and earn you some cooking compliments.

3. Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole is perfect for feeding a crowd. You can even prep the components up to 2 days in advance, which can be helpful when planning a big party. It’s a creamy and flavorful dish that is easy to make and always a hit at parties.

4. Guacamole

This 4 ingredient guacamole recipe could not be easier! Just mash everything up together and enjoy! And your kids can make it too!

5. Chicken Fajita Casserole

This Chicken Fajita Rice Casserole recipe has all of the same great flavors and ingredients as the real deal. The recipe uses a homemade blend of seasonings so you can control the heat, making this dish kid-friendly too.

6. Turkey Taco Bake Recipe

This taco bake can feed a crowd, is family friendly, is a one pot dinner and comes together in just a little over 30 minutes. Is there really anything else you could ask for?

7. White Chicken Chili Recipe

We’re big fans of classic chili in our house but we’re new to the white chicken chili game. This recipe for white chicken chili with northern beans got us hooked on the first bite though. Thick and chunky like the classic stuff but creamy and sweet from the white bean puree and corn, this soup is a total winner.

8. Tex-Mex Loaded Black Bean Dip – Perfect for Tortilla Chips

You can be enjoying this tasty dip in no time at all – just 15 minutes from start to finish. Canned black beans are warmed through with tomato paste, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and oregano, then mashed to a creamy consistency.

9. Watermelon & Cantaloupe Melon Pico de Gallo

If you’re a fan of traditional pico de gallo, you’ll love this fresh and flavorful twist! This Melon Pico de Gallo recipe combines juicy watermelon, and cantaloupe with classic pico ingredients like onion, chili peppers, cilantro, and lime juice for a unique and delicious appetizer or topping for tacos and salads.

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake with Cinnamon Churro Icing

5. Other festive swaps for vegan and healthier options:

You can also make some fantastic swaps with flavorful brands to spice things up:

Take a walk, guac: Dip into something deeper with some zesty Avocado Lime Hummus from Hope Foods, a tasty, organic, and healthy alternative to more gluttonous party dips & spreads.

Màs veggies, por favor: Worried about eating unhealthy at the party? Worry no more. With vegetables you can actually see, Mozaic’s Salsa flavor popped veggie and potato chips will be a hit at any Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

Spice up that margarita or michelada with a delicious, crispy rimmer: Crush up and rim your glass with some melt-in-your-mouth 4505 Tajin Chicharrones for an authentic, tangy kick!

Chips y Huevos: Swap those thin, store bought chips & salsa go for thick & less-greasy Chicas Chips restaurant-style tortilla chips + salsas to make mouthwatering Chilaquiles (a mexican favorite)

Kazoo Snacks and GrownAs* Foods. Coupled together these two brands create the ultimate Cinco De Mayo water-saving vegan party nachos—regardless of dietary or lifestyle restrictions.

Kazoo Snacks, is the maker of the world’s first water-saving tortilla chips (which are also vegan, gluten-free and Kosher). The brand uses 40% less whole corn than traditional tortilla chips, yet somehow manages to offer 61% more vitamin E, along with more healthy fats, enzymes, fiber and vital nutrients (with way more flavor)!

Vegan Cheese Dip or Nachos

GrownAs* Foods offers not only a great-tasting, boxed mac and cheese that anyone can eat but also one of the best-tasting, full flavor vegan cheese powders on the market with an uber super clean ingredient list. This cheese powder pantry staple delivers an insanely creamy, cheesy, and perfectly seasoned cheese alternative without the dairy, cholesterol and hassle.

Simply lay out your favorite Kazoo Snack tortilla chip variety (ours is Lime Zest) on a plate then stir in your favorite plant-based butter & milk (we recommend using Earth Balance and Oat milk) with their cheese powder and your creamy cheesy sauce and listo, your vegan party nachos are ready to serve!

Vegan Taco Meat

RollinGreens pays homage to Mexican fan favorites like tostadas, tacos, burritos, and enchiladas with a modern twist. With their shelf-stable, pre-seasoned Plant-Based ME’AT in Ground Taco, it’s easy to celebrate while eating 100% plant-based protein made from peas and veggies that are sustainably USA-grown.

Cinco de Mayo Drinks and Cocktails

Texas Margarita – Every Cinco de Mayo party needs a pitcher of margaritas, and this recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! It’s a simple twist on the classic margarita, featuring a hint of orange juice and a touch of sweetness. You can find the recipe here: https://stateofdinner.com/texas-margarita/Secondly

The Baja Tanga

Ingredients:

1 liter of 100% Agave Blanco Tequila, 50 oz watermelon puree, 1 750 ml bottle of Rose Wine, 18 oz of lime juice (juice of about 12 limes), 12 oz Agave Nectar

Method:

1. Take a watermelon and cut the top off of it off.

2. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the insides and put into a blender.

3. Blend the watermelon chunks and then strain the pulp out with a fine mesh strainer. Discard the pulp.

4. Next turn your watermelon into a keg by inserting keg tapping device or cut the watermelon in half and turn into a punch bowl.

5. Add in 50 oz of watermelon puree, Tequila, Rose, lime juice, and agave nectar and stir until agave nectar is incorporated.

6. Serve with cups of ice and friends!

This Passion Fruit Margarita is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and tangy. An exotic version of a classic recipe, but super easy to make!

Games

As for games, some of the most popular activities include piñata bashing, pin the tail on the donkey, and musical chairs.

Because Cinco de Mayo is a holiday associated with drinking, this game you’ll want to have some entertaining drinking games to play with friends and family.

Beer Darts is a compact game with portability that allows you to enjoy on patios or in parking lots, and with a built-in backboard clip, it prevents wayward darts from finding vulnerable toes – just add any cardboard like a pizza box or empty beer box!

You can even customize your own rules on the backboard for added fun and laughs. Whether sitting down or standing, you can enjoy Beer Darts casually and competitively!

Pin the tail on the donkey is a classic Cinco de Mayo game that’s fun for all ages. You can find a ready-made game on Amazon or make your own.

2. Mexican bingo, or lotería, is another popular game. You can find lotería sets on Amazon or make your own cards.

3. Piñata is always a hit! You can find different types of piñatas on Amazon or at party supply stores.

Pin the Mustache on the Mariachi is a fun little game that will add some laughs to your festivities. It’s a twist on the classic game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” so most everyone should be familiar with the rules. To play, you’ll need a large poster of a Mariachi band member without a mustache, along with a separate sheet of paper with several mustaches. You could also get fake mustaches with tape on the back. Blindfold one player at a time and spin them around a few times before handing them a mustache to pin on the Mariachi’s face. The player who pins the mustache closest to where it belongs wins a prize.

Extras you’ll need

3 SECTION TACO TRAY

Serve all your favorite toppings! Our 3 Section Taco Tray has connected bowls for serving all the taco fillings. Perfect for passing around the table and pairing with Taco Spoons.

Jokari’s Taco Stands are the perfect addition to taco night. These hands-free holders work with both hard and soft tacos, including regular or flat-bottomed tacos. The arch designs will hold your tacos, so no more messy plates. Use right on your plate or pop them in the microwave for reheating tacos or melting cheese. The Taco Stands come in a 4 pack, and it is top rack dishwasher safe and microwave safe. https://www.jokari.com/products/taco-stands?_pos=1&_sid=bd6f08027&_ss=r

Don’t forget Jokari’s Avocado Tool to open, pit, slice, scoop and mash – all with one tool! This feature-packed avocado tool cuts open avocados, pits, and slices them into bite size pieces, scoops out the healthy avocado meat and contains a masher to make homemade fresh guacamole. Use serrated cutting surface to open avocado. Then, insert the concave tip under the seed to remove the pit. Drag the slicer through the meat to create even slices.. Use the masher to make guacamole. It is top rack dishwasher safe. https://www.jokari.com/products/avocado-tool?_pos=2&_sid=bd6f08027&_ss=r